Startup Product ManagerOn building products that people love and usehttp://www.startupproductmanager.com/
Winter May be coming?<p>I was very curious about whether Content blocking scripts in iOS 9 will go mainstream. Content Blocking (in the form of Adblocking) has been around forever in desktop, but has largely remained in the “nerd” / “geek” territory. Most people didn’t care enough as there was no immediate / tangible benefit for the effort involved in installing an adblocker extension (even though installing one is not all that hard). Only <a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-percentage-of-Internet-users-that-employ-AdBlock-Plus-or-similar-ad-blocking-plugins">5% of all Internet users</a> had an ad blocker installed.</p>
<p>However on mobile, there are tangible benefits promoted by ad blockers.
* Reduced bandwidth costs
* increased battery life).</p>
<p>Ad-blocking app <a href="http://murphyapps.co/blog/2015/9/4/crystal-faqs">Crystal claims</a> 3.9x times faster load and 53% lesser data use on the Top 10 popular news sites, Still it is an opt-in and a two-step installation process. The installation process is similar to that of custom keyboards, and in my experience most mainstream users had not both installing custom keyboards.</p>
<p>Content blocking scripts are off to a strong start.</p>
<p>Three of the Top 5 Paid apps are content blocking scripts. That is really strong considering the payment hurdle and the installation hurdle.</p>
<p><img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ewdbbtk97odmcws/top%20apps.png" alt="Top Paid apps" /></p>
<p>Content blocking is also a trending search (which presumably will drive install to free ones too).</p>
<p><img src="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/ij0nb2913rgzr28/IMG_9823.png" alt="Trending Searches" /></p>
<p>It is possible that the early adopters are installing these content scripts (and <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/17/early-ios-9-adoption-rate/">about 12% of devices had iOS 9 installed</a> keeping pace with iOS 8.)</p>
<p>I am definitely surprised by this trend. I was somewhat skeptical about the adoption of these types of apps, but it looks like there might be enough momentum for this to go mainstream. (It’d be interesting to know if custom keyboards were trending ever in the app store, especially in the early days of iOS 8 due to the curiosity factor).</p>
<p><strong>The takeaway for PMs</strong> is that if you address a real problem (like bandwidth costs or battery life), users may be willing to take an obscene amount of effort to use your solution. Painkillers, Vitamins <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230736">yada yada yada</a>.</p>
<p>As for the larger ramifications of this, <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/17/9338963/welcome-to-hell-apple-vs-google-vs-facebook-and-the-slow-death-of-the-web">winter may be coming</a></p>
Fri, 18 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2015/09/winter-may-be-coming/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2015/09/winter-may-be-coming/iOS App Release Notes are loaded with personality<p>It is not new that app developers tend to <a href="http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2011/05/show-some-personality-in-your-apps/">show some personality in their release notes</a> (I am really curious how many “regular, non-nerds” read those anymore). However, I saw a few awesome examples of app developers taking extra care about their craft and showing some love in release notes. All these apps were updated in the past two days, and all this awesomeness got me excited enough to write a post about it, after a long hiatus! That is how excited I got!</p>
<p>My latest favorite <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/annotate-text-emoji-stickers/id994933038?mt=8">Annotate App</a> (which is what I used to create these screenshots and which was a life-saver in recent moving and home-improvement projects)</p>
<p><img src="/images/annotate-release-notes.jpeg" alt="Annotate release notes" /></p>
<p>The Medium app seizes your attention by starting on a somber note. Very creative.</p>
<p><img src="/images/medium-release-notes.jpeg" alt="Medium release notes" /></p>
<p>Slack, making an awesome reference to Hitchhiker’s guide (and yeah, how come there is no :towel: emoji)</p>
<p><img src="/images/slack-release-notes.jpeg" alt="Slack release notes" /></p>
<p>Overcast, with a short and sweet reference to bugs in iOS 9 and Dark Sky <em>having a talk</em> with charts that wobble.</p>
<p><img src="/images/overcast-darksky-release-notes.jpeg" alt="Dark Sky release notes" /></p>
<p>Yelp (which continues to be awesome, I had called them out for awesome release notes <a href="http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2011/05/show-some-personality-in-your-apps/">way back in May 2011</a>)</p>
<p><img src="/images/yelp-release-notes.jpeg" alt="Yelp release notes" /></p>
<p>And the amazing Trello, which seriously levels up, has a <a href="https://twitter.com/steveplustrello">@steveplustrello</a> twitter account and</p>
<p><img src="/images/trello-release-notes.jpeg" alt="Trello release notes" /></p>
<p>It is also nice to see people asking for reviews nicely in release notes, as opposed to interrupting the user’s flow inside the app. In a world of auto-updates, If a user is interested enough to read your release notes, they are quite likely your more engaged users, who are arguably more likely to take the time to leave a review for you. (or atleast tweet about it).</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Do yourself a favor. Get the <a href="https://twitter.com/HubSpot">@hubspot</a> app just to read app update notes. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/humperdink?src=hash">#humperdink</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wtf?src=hash">#wtf</a>?!😊 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INBOUND13?src=hash">#INBOUND13</a></p>&mdash; Julie J Montgomery (@julesmontgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/julesmontgo/status/370776070955339776">August 23, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>Nice job, app developers.</p>
Fri, 17 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2015/07/ios-app-release-notes-are-loaded-with-personality/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2015/07/ios-app-release-notes-are-loaded-with-personality/Theme for 2015 -> Creation<p>Reading the 37Signals blog post about <a href="https://signalvnoise.com/posts/3818-a-new-years-theme-more-questions-less-me-talk">picking a theme</a> for the new year rather than a resolution really resonated with me too.</p>
<p><strong>My theme for 2015 is going to be : Creation</strong></p>
<p>If you think about “Stuff” (content / knowledge work / whatever), there is a hierachy of Creation, Curation and Consumption. I’d give myself a 9/10 in Consumption, probably a 6/10 in curation and a measly 3 out of 10 in Creation.</p>
<p><img src="/images/creation-curation-consumption.png" alt="Creation -&gt; Curation -&gt; Consumption Hierarchy" /></p>
<p>This year, I want to change that. I want to get more deliberate about curating and do more creating.</p>
Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2015/01/theme-for-2015--creation/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2015/01/theme-for-2015--creation/If you haven't talked to a customer today, you are doing it wrong<p>Great advice for entrepreneurs and Product Managers from <a href="https://twitter.com/startupljackson">Startup L Jackson</a>. In effect he asks us to come up with a framework that guides/informs your intuition. Keep refining the framework everytime you meet someone new!</p>
<p>And there are a few specific examples of how you can keep refining it based on who you meet.</p>
<p><strong>Anyone and Everyone:</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>Ask everyone you meet what they believe, and why. When you’re talking to your Cousin Eddie, ask him about his favorite apps. How does he buy stuff? Does he watch YouTube? How does he find new restaurants or plan his travel? How does he advertise his small business?</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Founders:</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>When you meet other founders, ask them how their business works. Treat them as experts with insights that can help you improve your framework. Who are their customers? What do their customers love about the product? What have they tried that customers hated? How do they explain the product to customers? They’re building a marketplace, cool! How much do providers have to make to stay engaged? How many uses before a buyer sticks?</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Customers:</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p>And if you have an area you’re working, talk to customers. Every day. Talk to users of your product, active, inactive, new, and old. Talk to people who don’t want to use your product. Talk to people who are using a competitor’s product. Talk to customers of products in adjacent markets. Now, reread this paragraph and <strong>replace talk with listen.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://startupljackson.com/post/102141918295/the-counterintuitive-thing-about-counterintuitive">The full article</a></p>
Sun, 09 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2014/11/the-counterintuitive-thing-about-counterintuitive-things/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2014/11/the-counterintuitive-thing-about-counterintuitive-things/Conflict Strategies for Product Managers<p>I saw this article on HBR (it is from last year). It is meant for “nice people”, but I think these are just as applicable to Product Managers, who often need to wield <a href="http://www.sachinrekhi.com/blog/2013/02/19/the-most-underrated-product-management-skill-influence-without-authority">influence without authority</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Teams need conflict to function effectively. Conflict allows the team to come to terms with difficult situations, to synthesize diverse perspectives, and to make sure solutions are well thought-out. Conflict is uncomfortable, but it is the source of true innovation and also a critical process in identifying and mitigating risks.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As a PM, you need to be comfortable with a healthy level of conflict. Healthy Conflict is a sign of passionate people who stand for something. If you are not getting push back on your ideas, you may be settling for mediocre local maxima.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The secret of having healthy conflict and maintaining your self-image as a nice person is all in the mindset and the delivery. To start shifting your mindset, think about your value to the team not in how often you agree, but in how often you add unique value.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Wow! and now for a couple of specific tips:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>Use “and,” not “but.”</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>May Sound cheesy, but this is a flavor of the <a href="http://uxmag.com/articles/yes-and-the-improv-of-ux">Yes And</a> Principle in Improv.</p>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>Ask for help. Another tactic for “nice conflict” is to be mildly self-deprecating and to own the misunderstanding.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>The wrong way to be a hero is by avoiding conflict or “taking one for the team”. Don’t be that kind of a heroic PM.</p>
<p><a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/12/conflict-strategies-for-nice-people/">Full Article</a></p>
Wed, 05 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2014/11/conflict-strategies-for-product-managers/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2014/11/conflict-strategies-for-product-managers/Short Form Blogging<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Negotiate a comfort zone on two axes.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Traffic is irrelevant</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Have fun. Blogging is not your job. Don’t add it to your to-do list. If it’s not fun and you’re not done? Screw it. Take the baby to the park instead.</p>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>This “short-form” post from <a href="https://twitter.com/ginatrapani">Gina Tripani</a> inspired me to get back at it again. Nope, no in-depth medium style pieces, probably a lot of tools/tips style posts and a bunch of link posts (like this one). The last time I wanted to post, I ended up <a href="https://github.com/johnotander/pixyll/">updating my theme</a>, so fingers cross if it’ll work out this time.</p>
Sun, 02 Nov 2014 00:00:00 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2014/11/short-form-blogging/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2014/11/short-form-blogging/Seasons<p>Despite the harsh winters, I really like the New England area for the four seasons and how each season has its unique beauty. Here is a snapshot of how the same place looks in Fall &amp; Winter.</p>
<iframe src="//instagram.com/p/jXKuhFql_u/embed/" width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"></iframe>
Sat, 25 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2014/01/new-england-fall-winter/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2014/01/new-england-fall-winter/Windows 8 Is The Perfect OS That Nobody Wants<blockquote>
<p>People care about speed, efficiency, clarity, and delight. But a phone interface matching a laptop interface is about as important as socks matching underwear. It’s nice, but on most days, probably the last priority on your mind.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Takeaway</strong>: Your design could be great on paper and executed perfectly, but it still has to solve a real problem. Props to Microsoft for trying though and setting the tone on this.</p>
Fri, 27 Dec 2013 00:00:00 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2013/12/windows-8-perfect-os-that-nobody-wants/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2013/12/windows-8-perfect-os-that-nobody-wants/London Heathrow airport has an interesting way of surveying customers<p><img src="http://www.startupproductmanager.com/images/heathrow-survey.jpg" alt="Heathrow Survey" /></p>
Wed, 23 Oct 2013 01:14:59 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2013/10/london-heathrow-airport-has-an-interesting-way-of-surveying-customers/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2013/10/london-heathrow-airport-has-an-interesting-way-of-surveying-customers/iPhone 5C & 5S : Observations of a Product Manager<p>There is already a lot of analysis on new iPhone 5 C (for color) and 5 S (for sensors) including the usual fanboys such as<a href="http://daringfireball.net/2013/09/iphone_5c_5c_event"> Gruber</a>,<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/10/iphone-5c/"> Siegler</a> etc,.) and the haters (<a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/12033242/1/google-laughs-at-the-new-iphones.html#!">sarcastically indicating that “Google laughs at the new phone”</a>)</p>
<p><img src="http://www.startupproductmanager.com/images/iphone5c_2x.jpg" alt="iphone 5c" /></p>
<p>I wanted to analyze it from a Product Manager’s perspective. Wall Street’s initial reaction is pessimism.<a href="https://www.google.com/finance?chdnp=1&amp;chdd=1&amp;chds=1&amp;chdv=1&amp;chvs=maximized&amp;chdeh=0&amp;chfdeh=0&amp;chdet=1378918680000&amp;chddm=465&amp;chls=IntervalBasedLine&amp;q=NASDAQ:AAPL&amp;&amp;fct=big&amp;ei=0zUxUsCmCO2F0QHIjAE"> Apple’s stock is down 5% the day after</a>, but the fact that Apple doesn’t do what the Street wants it to do, gives me optimism.</p>
<p><strong>Observations on the 5C</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The creation of 5C is interesting for its positioning and pricing. Apple diverged from its usual play of bumping the price down by $100. It packaged the product differently, added color and has made what is basically the iPhone 5 a “New Product”.</li>
<li>5C is now the “bread and butter” product for Apple. It is the first product featured on the website and the 5S is repeatedly positioned as a cutting edge product, and in many ways seems like a decoy.</li>
<li>5C is meant to “pull up” those who would have otherwise gone for the free product, but also meant to make them feel good about the product they have. (that color!)</li>
<li>If you hate those 5C colors, you are not the target market! Anecdotally, I have heard that there is a lot of excitement about the colors from teens and new grads. Parents can expect to spend on the 5C.</li>
<li>Apple 5C plus the $30 cases (which will be ALL margin) will keep the bottom line happy.</li>
<li>The fact that the 32GB 5C and the 16GB 5S are the same price is a little head-scratching.</li>
<li>I am surprised Apple<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/10/do-i-like-the-iphone-5c-case-non/"> let “hon” slip through the cracks</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Observations on the 5S</strong></p>
<p>The 5S is very interesting from the perspective of iterative product development. I don’t know if it transpired this way, but I can envision someone doing the “Thai food approach” (aka the Similans approach) to each aspect of how iPhones are used and looking at how that experience can be fixed or improved. The idea is that you categorize / prioritize each area in a chili-meter, much like a Thai restaurant rates their food for spicy-ness. Here is my shot at de-constructing it.</p>
<ul>
<li>People<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoVW62mwSQQ"> take a lot of pictures on their iPhones</a>. So, the thinking is “Let’s make the camera amazing””. The iPhone 6c (my name for the next year model when this camera becomes more mainstream) would become be the final nail in the coffin of Point and Shoot cameras, if they aren’t already dead. 3.5 chillies.</li>
<li>People buy a lot of games on their iPhones. It amounts for<a href="http://blog.appannie.com/app-annie-index-market-q2-2013/"> 40%</a> of the total app store downloads. So, Let’s put a 64-bit processor in there to make it FAST! Nintendo 3DS is a failure, and 2DS is now on notice. Legit gaming consoles (like Kinect/Xbox, Wii, Play Station) will be the DSLRs and handheld gaming consoles will die. (not that you already didnt know it). 4 chillies</li>
<li>Better battery was on<a href="http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/news/2013/09/iphone_5s_better_battery_fingerprint_scanner_are_most_wanted_features_says_survey/"> everyone’s wishlist</a>: Oh yeah, and we have also added a 64-bit processor to it, which could make matters worse. How about we add a new processor (the M7) for some of the more battery intensive tasks. Oh, that also puts a whole new category of apps on steroids and helps us get into the market with Fitbit, Fuelband etc,.? SWEET! (although it could very well have been the other way around, where M7 was introduced to get into that category and had the benefit of preserving battery life) 5 chillies</li>
<li>People tend to lose their phones and passcodes are a pain (According to Apple, 50% dont have it enabled). Typing complicated password for buying apps is a pain, and we have data that X% of users abandon buying apps (or In app purchases) at the password stage, so Let’s make that easy. Let’s have a fingerprint sensor to unlock the phone AND make it easy to buy apps/music from the phone. This makes our ecosystem even more stronger. Win-win. 3 chillies for painpoint and 5 chillies for upside</li>
</ul>
<p>There you have it. This post is a bit of a brain dump, but figured I’d get back into the habit and also join in on this conversation. What are your thoughts? Which model are you going to buy?</p>
Fri, 13 Sep 2013 02:25:08 +0000http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2013/09/iphone-5c-5s-product-management/
http://www.startupproductmanager.com/2013/09/iphone-5c-5s-product-management/